Seal-lock



(ModeL) G. KOCH.

SEAL LOOK. N0.336,9 251 Patented Mar. 2-, 1886.

3* S 1 Q \g N I r S N b WITNESSES: I INVENTO M Y Wag; ATTORNEY. 7

UN TED STATES PATE T rricn.

GEORGE KOCH, OF BURLINGTON, lOWA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming pan. of Letters Patent No. 336.92 5, dated Mar h 2, 1886. Application tiled December 11, l8F5. Serial No. 155.329. (Modeh) To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE KOOH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks for Car Doors, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to locking devices for freight-car doors that require no key for opening, but are arranged for one part to be rup tured or broken in the act of unfastening, for the purpose of making it impossible for a person to tamper with or improperly open the lock without such fact being indicated; and it consists of the novel devicesand combina tions of devices hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional plan on line 1 1 in Fig.

2; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the seal-lock, and Fig. 4 a vertical crosssection on line 4 4 in Fig. 2.

Corresponding letters in the several figures of the drawings designate like parts.

A denotes the car-door,- B, the hasp; O, the main bolt; D, the cross-bolt; E, the lockingpiece, and F the gravitating latch on the inside of the car-door.

The hasp B may be either rigidly or pivotally secured to the stopping-post of a car. This hasp B has a square hole, a, in its overlapping end, that, when the car-door is closed, is brought in .line with an opening in such door, which opening corresponds in size and shape with the hole a in hasp B, and is fortified by being lined with an iron bushing, b, and with escutcheon-plates c and d.

The main bolt 0 is a square bar that is slotted near its front end for inserting the tenon e of a cross-bolt, D, and is provided with a square notch just over such slot, to form a seat for the square head 1'' of such cross-bolt. This main bolt 0 also has a longitudinal groove formed in its upper face, which extends from its front end to about the middle of such bolt, where it terminates into a square shouldered cavity, 9. The rear end of bolt 0 is beveled, and is provided with a notch, k, that forms a square shoulder in its rear, and is forwardly beveled to engage the beveled end of the gravitating latch F.

The locking-piece E consists of a flat iron shank, i, that loosely enters the groove of main bolt 0, and to one end of this shank is formed a hook, j, that enters the cavity g, such hookj being shaped to be thin and light in its corner, for the purpose of making that the weakest point. To its front end the shank t has a head, K, shaped like a semicircular shield, which has cast or otherwise formed upon its face letters, figures, or other characters indicating the railroad or other transportation company, and the number or name of the station whence the car is being shipped. This locking-piece E is to be of cast-iron or other brittle metal.

The head f of cross-bolt D has an eye for passing through it the hook j and bar iof lockingpiece E.

The gravitating latch F is secured against the inward face of the door above the opening for bolt 0 by two staples, Z, in which it is vertically guided. This latch F has a head, m, that holds it from dropping outof such staples, and its lower end is beveled, to be lifted by sliding over the beveled rear end of bolt 0, and then to drop behind the square shoulder of notch 71, for catching and holding such bolt 0 against being withdrawn from the opening after once having been inserted.

For securing the car-door by the locking device, the hooky is first passed through the eye in the head f of erossbolt D, neXt the tenon e of such cross-bolt is inserted into the slot of main bolt 0, with the shank z of locking-piece E entering the groove, and hookj entering the cavity of such main bolt, and now, with these attachments in position, the main bolt is inserted through the holea of hasp B into the opening of the car-door A as far as cross-bolt D will allow, and until the gravitating latch F has dropped into notch h of such main bolt C, all as shown by Fig. 2. Thus inserted, the bolt 0 cannot be removed without either raising the gravitating latch F, which, being inside of the car, is out of reach, or by removing the cross-bolt D, which, however, is secured in its place by locking-piece E, passed through the eye in its head f. There finally, the main bolt can be pushed through the opening into the car. With this arrangement the locking-piece E can be used but once,

and will have to be replaced by a new one' with each relocking of the car-door; but even without it the device can be used for simply fastening the car'door, and by providing the lower end of tenon e of the cross-bolt D with an eye or loop a padlock can be attached.

The cross-bolt D is not an essential element of this locking device, since the locking-piece E alone, by making it shorter, and when used in combination with bolt 0 and gravitating latch F, will compose a complete locking device, and therefore I do not wish to be restricted to the use of such crossbolt D.

What I claim is- 1. A seal-lock for freight-cars, substantially as described, and consisting of bolt 0, looking-piece E, and gravitating latch F, the whole constructed and arranged to operate as specified.

2. In a seal-lock, the combination of bolt C, having notches g and h, the locking-piece E, consisting of shank 'i, hook j, and head K, and the gravitating latch F, all constructed and arranged, substantially as described, to operate as specified.

3. In a seal-lock, the combination of bolt 0, cross-bolt D, locking-piece E, and gravitating latch F, the whole being constructed and arranged, substantially as described, to operate as specified.

4. In a seal-lock, the combination of bolt C, being slotted at its front end, and having notches g and h, the cross-bolt D, having perforated head f and tenon e, locking-piece E, consisting of shank i, hook j, and head K, and the gravitating latch F, the whole being constructed and arranged, substantially as de scribed, to operate as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE KOCH.

Witnesses:

RICHARD S. SKINNER, JAMES WILSON. 

